Nashville's Replica of Cheops at Mt Olivet

When I found out that Nashville's replica of Cheops pyramid from the Centennial Expo was a tomb in a cemetery with the name of Mt Olivet (Olive), I had to check it out. Heading to my sisters house I happened to drive by there one evening, noticing the sign, and also that was a tour coming up on the 13th. I made note and came back for the tour. When I stepped foot on the inside I was amazed at how many obelisk were on the site. And the symbols, the cross in the circle. For reference on the name of this cemetery and how it connects with ancient KMT I note, "Mount of Olives is the hill facing the old city of Jerusalem, on the eastern side of Kidron valley. Its name came from the olive trees that once grew on its hillside from ancient times. According to Jewish tradition, the Messiah will appear here and bring the dead back to life. Therefore, the hillside became the most holiest cemetery, and the hillside is covered by thousands of grave stones." Olives are a crop that was cultivated in ancient Egypt. It was prized among the culture and is adorned on many walls. The most famous being Akhenaten's olive branch with outstretched hands from the 18th Dynasty. It is possible that ancient cities took their names, and/or named great sites as we do today from ancient Egypt in honor of the great agriculturalist and architects.

So now lets discuss how this relates to early Masons in Nashville and how they have used egyptian symbols in local architecture.

The great pyramid of Cheops and the Golden Number

Eugene C. Lewis was an engineer but also spearheaded the Centennial Celebration of TN. Eugene was interested in all of the crafts Seshat was known as being the oversear or "goddess" of; architecture, mathematics, building, astrology, and surveying. At Eugine's tomb is an arrow pointing to a 5 pointed star.

Scene from the tomb of Djeserkeresonb. 18th Dynasty
Djeserkeresonb and his assistants carry out a survey of the fields.
The coil of rope cannot be seen due to the damage done to the wall.

Scene from the tomb of Menna showing surveying of the

land in fields for the calculation of taxes.

Menna is depicted in the top left and bottom right--his face obliterated.

There are many correlations with Mason's and the Egyptian presence in Nashville. The committee that lead the design of the Downtown Presbyterian Church to be rebuilt in its Egyptian style held their initial meeting at the Masonic Lodge. Many of the men with Teken (Obelisk) above their graves at Mount Olivet are Masons. Mr Catron was a Mason. His tomb is a replica of an ancient Egyptian sarcophagus. Many of the notables of the church, which is a replica of an Egyptian temple, are buried at Olivet. The cornerstone foundation ceremony was performed at the Presbyterian temple as well. This ritual originated in Egypt and was presided over by Seshat. The cornerstone foundation ceremony, in my opinion,  is a form of the pedj shes (astrological/architecture/survey science) associated with Seshat that became ritualized over time and translated as the "Stretching of the Cord Ceremony". "This ritual is related to laying out the foundations of temples and other important structures in order to determine and assure the sacred alignments and the precision of the dimensions. Her skills were necessary for surveying the land after the annual floods to reestablish boundary lines. The priestess who officiated at these functions in her name also oversaw the staff of others who performed similar duties and were trained in mathematics and the related store of knowledge. Much of this knowledge was considered quite sacred and not shared beyond the ranks of the highest professionals such as architects and certain scribes" from Wiki. This practice goes back, as is noted in my previous blogs, to the early matrilenial society in the Naqadda period and Old Kingdom, when women passed on land ownership from mother to daughter and kept records of these transfers in early writing script.

A surveyor checking the boundary stone.
The picture was taken from a Theban tomb probably belonging to Nebamun. James, T. G. H. 1979. An Introduction to Ancient Egypt. The Trustees of the British Museum. London

"This sacred ritual is described in numerous hieroglyphic inscriptions and depicted in reliefs during various epochs of the ancient civilisation. Quoted for the first time on the Palermo Stone in year x + 7 years (c.3005 B.C.) of the fifth king of the First Dynasty, Meretneit (also called Den), for the dedication ritual of what was the House (called) “Thrones-of-the-Gods” (by) the priest of (the goddess) Seshat. Coming up on this stone of history another two times – for the 2nd Dynasty ruler Neterimu’s seventh year dedication of the House (called) Hor-Ren, and the 4th year building ceremony (for) the House (called) “Shelter-of-the Gods” during the period of the last King of the Second Dynasty, known as King X (known to be Khasekhemwy) because his name was also missing (c.2687 B.C.). Upon the various images found in varying places from different eras the king is shown with the goddess Seshat, often referred to as the goddess of the Scribes of the Fields and wife of the ibis headed god Thoth, hammering in stakes around which the sacred cord is tightly wrapped. Such stakes were placed by astronomical star observation to the Great Bear constellation (Ursa Major) and other fainter polar stars at the major corners of the proposed building.

Such stretched measuring line around the perimeter of the stakes so placed was then dropped to the ground in the Loosening of the Cord to mark the lines of trenches to be dug out for the footings of the construction.....

At various times of Egyptian history this divine measuring device was housed in a cache bearing the Ram’s Head of Amun (statues of Penanhor and Amenemhet-Surer) shown clearly in the two statues of these Scribes in the kneeling position with the sacred cord resting in their laps. The same holy encasement can be seen in the line drawings from the tomb of Scribe Amenhotpe-si-se on the upper arms of the survey assistants in the depiction of measuring the fields from around 1400 B.C. Another statue of the Scribe Semenmut shows the sacred rope with a cache sculpted in the shape of the head of Thutmose II’s daughter Nefrura for whom the scribe was a tutor.......
In the hieroglyphic inscription accompanying the image at Edfu the king
himself states:
      “I hold the peg.  I grasp the handle of the club and grip the measuring cord with
       Seshat.  I turn my eyes to the movements of the stars.  I send forth my glance to
       Ursa Major.  I make firm the four corners of thy temple.”   "

Sycamore Mills/Sycamore Tree of Nut are all found around Mt Olivet and in Egypt and Israel. There are many similarities of note. There are draped cords throughout adorning tombs at the cemetery  The science of the stretching of the cords was practiced by many of the men in the cemetery  Including the men who planned the building of the Egyptian temple in Downtown Nashville, ordered to be funded and built before the capitol of Tennessee, attesting to its importance. Needless to say, not only did these men practice Egyptian ritual in their lives, they built the temples, used the architecture principles, and ensured their final resting place mimicked what can be found in Egypt. Eugene, the engineer being one who made it quite obvious. He chose to build and memorialize himself in Egypt's pyramid known to us today to incorporate sacred mathematics, the Golden Radio, here in Nashville, TN. Now to find out where that arrow is pointing...

Highly Venerated in Spain Today, The Black Madonna "La Morenata", Early Temples, and Seshat

This morning while at a doctor's appointment I saw a book about ancient sacred sites. I opened it to a page and there was a picture of a black Madonna, "La Morenata"-- The Little Black Madonna. I read about her and was intrigued. Then I noticed the adjacent page was about St. Teresa and the next the number 7 so I made sure to take note to what was before me. I had been interested in images of black Madonnas in the past. There is one that can be found in New York I thought was interesting. As I studied more about Medea I developed a conception of these women doctors who were taken to other countries from Africa for their ability to heal, which some perceived as magic.

One site about the Black Madonna of East 13th St states, "Latin words Nigra sum sed formosa ("I am black but beautiful") were inscribed on the base of the statue. This phrase is taken from the Old Testament’s Song of Songs, in which a captive shepherdess declares her love for a young shepherd to the women of King Solomon’s court." When I read this a year or so ago it interest me because 1) this figure was black with the depiction of a women and male child, as the iconography in Egypt- teacher/student relationship theme I kept coming across. 2) She was in NW YRK. 3) King Solomon, the architect and first temple builder for Jerusalem, involved in the stretching of the cord ceremony and knot in the bible was involved (whom I perceive as a student of the science from the books that would have been contained in the library of Seshat-chief architect), and 4) It reminded me of my favorite t-shirt given to me at Obama's BET Inauguration Ball that read "My Black is Beautiful", a popular empowerment theme for African Americans since the 70s. I was thinking at first, does this inscription mean that black women have been struggling with proving their beauty to other cultures long before slavery? How long did this go back? So with many questions in my mind I spent several days looking for more information on Black Madonna's and other sayings of ancient times that we African-Americans still use today, such as Imhotep's, "My Brother".

So today opening the pages to see La Morenata brought me back to this place I had forgotten. Where are the black women who were teachers? What is this hand/fingers business I keep seeing? Why does so much written about these figures discount or explain away their blackness? I think we all know the reason for that... I will write about Demeter in another blog, but she is where I ended up with the last research several years ago while searching "I am black, but beautiful". Countless writings from the turn of the time from BC to AD concerning these black women who had come to far off lands with their knowledge of healing, herbs, and other north African type cultural backgrounds. 

I don't think that I have written about it yet but the astronomy of Easter and the science related to the stars and Seshat are related. So Easter and its celebration has been on my list of things to delve into deeper as the holiday relates to the goddess Seshat and the science of the stars from that early time period. La Morenata's feast day, Virgin of Montserrat's Day, is the 3rd week of Easter for Spain April 27th, which is tomorrow for me now many people will pray and feast in her honor in Europe. It was on 9/11/1881 that Pope Leo XIII declared the virgin of Montserrat, La Morenata, patroness of Catalonia. 9/11 is also the National Day of Catalonia. On April 25th this song Virolai to her was desclared winner among 70 compositions, the first stanza of which begins with the verse "Rosa April, the Sierra Morena, Montserrat star". Tradition says that this statue of her was found after it was hidden in the 9th century from the Moors who had come to that area. All of Catalonia was under Moorish control by 718 AD, according to Adam Kent.

If you know someone who can speak Catalana please have them provide me with a true translation from here. In the mean time this is what Babble I mean Google has provided me... From reading the translation things that stood out to me were wife of the mountain, gold saw & make you a palace (building), crowned with stars, mystic spring, water of life, fishermen, port, Lebanon cedar, Incense tree, palm sion (Zion), sacred fruit, guide to heaven. Noteworthy is that this festival coincides with St George's Book Day. In 1995 UNESCO established 4/23 as World Book and Copyright Day, the day is celebrated by women giving a book to men and men given the women a rose. Also, the Incense tree is The frankincense tree (Boswellia sacra) before translation- L' arbre à encens. The frankincense tree is found in Somalia, in Ethiopia, the Yemen and Oman. There is also mention of a Palm Zion which may reference a hill where Zerubbabel built the Second Temple, "Daughter of Zion". In the New Testament the Daughter of Zion is interpreted as the bride of Christ. However, as stated in my previous blogs I do not think the terms bride, daughter, mother, son, etc should be taken literally to describe a biological lineage, but rather an educational association of sorts that spans time.

Translated Lyrics to Virolai
April Rose, wife of the mountain
Star of Montserrat,
illuminate the earth Catalan
guide us to Heaven

Gold with a saw, the little angels sawed,
with a saw gold, these peaks there, to make you a palace.
Queen of Heaven, the seraphim down
Give us a blue inside your coat,

Dawn, crowned with stars,
City of God which David mused,
At your feet, the moon arose,
the sun's rays to give you clothes.

Catalans you will always be the Princess
Spaniards, the Star of the East.
For good, be the force,
For fishermen, the port of salvation!

Comfort those who leave their homeland,
Without ever seeing the peaks of Montserrat.
On land or sea, you listen to those who crave
Turn to God's hearts who abandoned;

Mystic Spring Water of life
sprung from heaven in the heart of my country,

Catalan

Rosa April, the Sierra Morena, 

Star of Montserrat, 

illuminate the Catalan land, 

guided us toward heaven. 

Saw the golden angels sawing 

axes hills to make you a palace; 

Queen of Heaven that descended Serafina, 

ten us wrap your blue cloak dincs. 

Dawn rising star crowned, 

City of David dreamed that God, 

to the moon you are putting your feet, 

the sun his rays assumes you dress. 

Catalans will always be princess 

Spanish Star of the East, 

Be good for the pillar of strength 

port of rescue for sinners. 

Give relief to those who longs for the homeland, 

without ever seeing the peaks of Montserrat; 

on land and sea oïu who implores, 

return to God that the hearts have stopped. 

Mystical Power of the water of life, 

rageu heaven in the heart of my country; 

gifts and virtues leave it to bloom; 

Take, please, your paradise. 

Ditxosos eyes, Maria, who you see! 

ditxós heart that opens in your light! 

Rose of Heaven, the seraphim voltegen, 

my prayer to give your perfume. 

Cedar gentle Lebanon crown 

Incense tree, palm Sion, 

the sacred fruit that your love gives us 

Jesus Christ is the Redeemer of the world. 

Our story begins with your name 

Montserrat and our Sinai: 

feel for the scale of all the glory 

rocky areas covered with rosemary. 

Rosa April, the Sierra Morena, 

Star of Montserrat, 

illuminate the Catalan land, 

guided us toward heaven

Lyrics to Another version

Over the edge

I saw the temple

Up in the air

There were angels

Inside the halls

I touched the Virgin

Her skin glistened Black

Mother of God

Soaring up over the peaks

Past the clouds around us

High above the Earthly planes

You'll find Montserrat

Past the other patron saints

You'll find Montserrat

The Legacy:

"Over 150 churches were dedicated to the Virgin of Montserrat in Italy alone, as were the first chapels of Mexico, Chile and Peru; even a Caribbean island bears her name. For centuries, the monastery enjoyed outrageous prosperity, having its own flag and a form of extraterritorial independence along the lines of the Vatican City, and its fortunes declined only in the nineteenth century. In 1811 Napoleon's troops devastated the buildings, stole many of the treasures and "hunted the hermits like chamois along the cliffs".....In recent decades Montserrat's popularity has again become established; there are over three hundred brothers and, in addition to the tourists, tens of thousands of newly married couples come here to seek La Moreneta 's blessing on their union." Discovering Barcelona